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Present work demonstrate an efficient strategy of regulating the molecular conformation in PEDOT:PSS for ordered PEDOT domains and favorable band alignment, leading to the formation of true-blue PeLEDs with peak EQE up to 6.86% and maximum luminance of 854.10cd/m2 at wavelength of 478 nm. And we achieved the success of air-processed blue PeLEDs based on PFOA modified PEDOT:PSS. [Display omitted] • PFOA regulates the molecular conformation of PEDOT:PSS, improving carrier transport and alignment with the perovskite layer. • The PeLEDs with PFOA reach a peak external quantum efficiency of 6.86 % and a maximum luminance of 854.10 cd/m2 at a wavelength of 478 nm, which are the record values for the pure-bromide quasi-2D PeLEDs in the true-blue region. • The blue PeLEDs were successfully fabricated under ambient conditions (≈25 % RH and 20 °C), owing to the hydrophobic fluorine-carbon (C-F) chains of PFOA. The pure-bromide quasi-2D perovskite has shown advantages in fabrication of blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) due to its relatively good color stability and capability of moisture resistance. However, the performances of efficiency and luminance of pure-bromide quasi-2D PeLEDs with true-blue (470 nm−480 nm) emission are still inferior. Here, we show a interfacial modification strategy of involving perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to a hole transport layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), to improve the performances of the true-blue PeLEDs. The PFOA regulates the molecular conformation of PEDOT:PSS, forming ordered PEDOT domains that improves the carrier transport and a more favorable band alignment with the perovskite emissive layers. The achieved true-blue PeLEDs show peak EQE of 6.86 % and maximum luminance of 854.10 cd/m2 at wavelength of 478 nm, which are the record values for the pure-bromide quasi-2D PeLEDs in true-blue region. Moreover, owing to the hydrophobic fluorine-carbon (C-F) chains of PFOA, we successfully fabricate the blue PeLEDs in air condition without inert gas protection. This work paves the way for commercial applications in next-generation display technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To study the clinical efficacy and quality of life of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with breast-conserving surgery in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 100 patients with triple-negative breast cancer was performed from May 2012 to April 2017. The patients were divided into an observation group and a control group according to different treatment methods, with 50 cases in each group. The control group received AC-T sequential chemotherapy after breast-conserving surgery, and the observation group received AC-T sequential chemotherapy before breast-conserving surgery (neoadjuvant). The operation time, postoperative immune function, postoperative tumor markers, postoperative efficacy, and postoperative complications of the two groups of patients were statistically analyzed, and the quality of life of the two groups of patients 1 year after the operation was compared. Results. Compared with the control group, the operation time and blood loss of the observation group were significantly reduced, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The observation group produced significantly higher total effective rate after treatment (82.00% vs. 56.00%) (P < 0.05). The observation group exhibited superior immune function indexes CD3, CD4, and CD8 after operation when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum tumor marker levels between the two groups before surgery and after surgery (both P > 0.05). Three days after operation, the levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and TNF-α in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, and 3-year survival rate between the two groups (P > 0.05); however, the postoperative complication rate of the observation group was 6.00%, which was significantly lower than that of the control group (30%) (P < 0.05). The overall health, physiological function, physiological function, and body pain of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with breast-conserving surgery for triple-negative breast cancer can not only improve the therapeutic effect of patients and reduce the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions but also significantly improve the quality of life of patients after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To study the clinical effect of Zhengyuan capsule combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods. From September 2014 to September 2017, 120 TNBC patients who underwent radical mastectomy in our hospital were randomly divided into control group (n = 60) and observation group (n = 60). The short-term curative effect, the incidence of toxicity and side effects, and the score of quality of life of the patients were compared. Both recurrence and metastasis rates were also analyzed. Results. The combined treatment of Zhengyuan capsule with neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved the objective remission rate (70.00% in the observation group versus 40.00% in the control group) (P < 0.05). Moreover, this combined treatment significantly decreased the total incidence of side effects (35.00% versus 75.00%). Accordingly, the score of quality of life was also increased in patients treated with Zhengyuan capsule plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.05). Furthermore, supplementation of Zhengyuan capsule can significantly suppress both the recurrence and metastasis rate of TNBC in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy after radical mastectomy in following 3 years (30.00% versus 10.00%, P < 0.05). Conclusion. Zhengyuan capsule effectively improves the short-term curative effect, reduces the side effects of chemotherapy, and improves the quality of life of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy after radical mastectomy. More importantly, this combined treatment can also reduce the long-term recurrence and metastasis of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, an increase in the frequency of extreme events in early spring across Eurasia has resulted in significant impacts on crop yields and socio-economic development. However, the variations of March surface air temperature (SAT) over Eurasia and mechanisms are still unclear. This study aims to investigate the dominant mode of the March surface air temperature (SAT) over Eurasia during 1979–2022, and its relationship with sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice concentration (SIC). The results reveal the prevalence of a dipole mode of the Eurasian SAT anomalies (SATAs) in March characterized by positive SATAs in northern (50°N–80°N) Eurasia and negative ones in southern (10°N–45°N) region. Further analyses demonstrate that this dipole mode of Eurasian SATAs shows significant relationships with a positive phase of the North Atlantic tripole SST anomalies (NAT SSTAs), as well as with the decline of Barents Sea SIC anomalies (SICAs). Associated with the NAT SSTAs and the Barents Sea SICAs during March, two Rossby wave trains propagate towards Eurasia through different ways, one is propagating eastwards from the mid-latitude of the North Atlantic to Eurasia, and another one spreads from the polar region to Eurasia. Modulated by these two wave trains, anomalous near-surface southwesterly (northeasterly) wind induces more (less) warm air towards northern Eurasia, while more (less) cloud emerges in southern Eurasia and causes less (more) solar radiation reaching southern Eurasia, leading to the dipole mode of the Eurasian SATAs in March. These results are further confirmed by numerical experiments from the version 5 of the Community Atmosphere Model forced by the above mentioned SSTAs and SICAs. • The main mode of March surface air temperature (SAT) distribution in Eurasia displays a north-south dipole pattern. • Two wave trains generated from mid-latitude and polar region respectively are closely related to this dipole SAT pattern. • The anomalies of the North Atlantic SST and the Barents Sea SIC can excite different wave trains modulating the Eurasian SAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A synthetic Schlieren method is developed to measure the density field of a stratified fluid. A transparent sheet of background markers is attached on one side of a tank which is made of acrylic plates, and a camera is positioned on the opposite side of the tank. The markers are virtually displaced due to light refraction in the stratified fluid in the tank, in reference to those from the water tank. The governing equation is derived based on the observation that the marker displacements depend on the light refraction at the interface of media, the refractive indices of the transparent liquids and their spatial gradient. The density of the fluid is associated with the refractive index via the relationship obtained in a calibration process. We solve this governing equation, an over-determined system with only the target variable unknown, using the optimization method. We examine the present method by performing laboratory experiments for two cases of the density stratification, i.e., a linear stratification and a pycnocline. We also carry out ray tracing simulations of three characteristic density profiles (i.e., a linear stratification, a nonlinear stratification and a pycnocline). The present method is compared with the method of solving the Poisson equation in detail, emphasizing the difference between the two methods. Measurement uncertainty is discussed at last. • A synthetic Schlieren method is developed to measure the density of a stratified fluid. • The over-determined governing equations are solved by the optimization method. • The present method is verified by laboratory experiments and simulations. • The comparison with the Poisson-equation method is discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taurine (3S) inhibits heat-induced Ostwald ripening by binding to perovskite. 3, 3-diphenylpropylamine (DPPA) improves hydrophobicity to suppresses moisture-induced phase disproportionation. As a result, perovskite films with 3S and DPPA maintain stability for over 200h at 70 °C and over 310 h at 20% relative humidity, achieving the most stable blue quasi-2D perovskite emitters. [Display omitted] • Studying the optical property evolution of blue perovskite under stimuli of moisture and heat. • Proposing a strategy to curb Ostwald ripening and phase disproportionation in blue perovskite. • Achieving one of the most stable blue perovskite films under stimuli of moisture and heat. Quasi-2D metal halide perovskite is rising for efficient blue light-emitting diodes due to strong quantum confinement and tunable emission, while a challenge remains in its poor stability of n -phase distribution under external stresses. Herein, the stable blue quasi-2D perovskite under heat and moisture conditions is achieved by dual ligand engineering. The Lewis base moieties − SO 3 − from taurine (3S) bind tightly with perovskite edges, inhibiting Ostwald ripening of the perovskite phase caused by the heat, and 3, 3-diphenylpropylamine (DPPA) provides a strong hydrophobicity to the perovskite film, suppressing phase disproportionation induced by the moisture. Accordingly, the blue perovskite film, modified synergistically by the 3S and DPPA dual ligands, maintains its initial photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) after over 200 h with 70 °C heating, and only exhibiting a redshift in PL peak wavelength less than 10 nm. Exposing under environment condition of 20 % relative humidity for 300 h, the blue perovskite film still retains its initial PL peak wavelength with PLQY exceeding 50 % of the initial value. This achievement establishes a notable strategy for enhancing both the thermal and moisture stability of blue quasi-2D perovskite. Furthermore, the light-emitting diodes based on the perovskite films display the enhanced operating stability. This work offers an efficient strategy for stabilizing blue quasi-2D perovskite and the corresponding devices for the display application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-camera synthetic Schlieren method is introduced to measure the height of a dynamic free liquid surface in a container with a flat bottom. Markers placed on the bottom, seen through the free surface, are virtually displaced due to light refraction at the surface. According to Snell's law, the marker displacements depend on the refractive indices of the transparent liquid and the air, and on the surface height and its spatial gradients. We solve the resulting governing nonlinear equation with the Newton–Raphson method to obtain the surface height. Our method does not require a reference surface height, which allows the measurement of surfaces topography in situations where the liquid depth is unknown. We demonstrate the accuracy of the method by performing experiments of surface ripples and dam-break flows and discuss the measurement uncertainty, errors and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content, composition and molecular signatures of soil organic matter (SOM) have important influences on the cycle of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the partitioning of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil. Seventy-nine soil samples from farmland, forest and urban areas were collected in Shenyang, China to investigate black carbon (BC) content, SOM molecular signatures varied with land use patterns, as well as the relationship with PAHs. The content of BC in urban soils was significantly higher than that of farmland and forest. BC was a key contributor of urban SOM which accounted for 0.35 ± 0.31 of SOC in urban soil. Based on BC/SOC ratio, the main sources of BC were identified as fossil fuel combustion for urban soils, while for farmland and forest soils, it is the mixed results of fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning. All categories of PAHs in urban soils showed the highest level compared to farmland and forest soils. Pearson's correlation analysis results showed there were significant positive correlations between BC and PAHs categories in urban soils, indicating the important role of BC in the accumulation of PAHs in soil. SOM from each of the two different land use patterns can be distinguished by molecular signatures. Urban SOM had abundant molecular markers derived from condensed organic carbon inputs, which was consistent with the BC/SOC value. Farmland SOM had abundant carbon from vegetation and microorganisms, and forest SOM was rich in organic carbon from fresh plant materials. The markers enriched in urban SOM showed significant correlations with most PAHs categories, highlighting the affinity of urban SOM for PAHs at the molecular level. This study contributed to understanding the impact of land management methods on SOM molecular composition signatures and its influence on PAHs occurrence in soil, providing a theoretical basis for regional soil pollution management. [Display omitted] • Urban soils had high levels of BC and PAHs. • PAHs show significant positive correlations with BC and SOC in urban soils. • Molecular signatures of SOM vary significantly with land use in Shenyang. • SOM molecular signatures affect PAHs accumulation in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a synthetic Schlieren method of measuring the height of a dynamic free liquid surface, the smallest wavelength of the measured surface topography is determined by the spatial resolution of the displacement field of markers. Currently, a displacement vector is obtained for each interrogation window, including a few markers, with a cross-correlation algorithm. In this study, the measurement resolution is extended by obtaining the displacement of individual markers. This simple and rational change, however, brings technical difficulties in numerically solving the governing equation over spatially randomly distributed markers. For this, the governing equation, which associates the surface height to be measured with the virtual displacements of the markers, is solved by the finite-volume scheme for the unstructured meshes, where a marker locates at the center of each triangular mesh face. The present method is examined with the synthetic generated data, in laboratory experiments of a transparent solid carved with a sinusoidal surface, and in experiments of water ripples. The measurement uncertainty is discussed. • The finite-volume scheme is used in synthetic Schlieren to measure free surfaces. • Our method takes advantage of using marker-marker resolution in the pattern. • The present method may resolve smaller topographic structures of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the long-term reanalysis datasets and the multivariate copula method, this study reveals that the frequency of summer hot drought events (SHDEs) over northeastern China (NEC) shows interdecadal variations during 1925–2010. It is revealed that the summer sea surface temperature (SST) over the North Atlantic has a significant positive correlation with the frequency of SHDEs over NEC on the decadal time scale, indicating a potential influence of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO). Further analyses indicate that during the positive phases of the AMO, the warming SST over the North Atlantic can trigger a stationary Rossby wave originating from the North Atlantic, which splits into two wave trains propagating along two different routes. One is a zonally orientated wave train that resembles the Silk Road pattern, whereas the other is an arching wave train that resembles the polar–Eurasian pattern. A negative (positive) phase of the Silk Road pattern (polar–Eurasian pattern) may result in the weakened westerly wind along the jet stream, the downward vertical motion, and the anomalous positive geopotential center over NEC, providing favorable conditions for precipitation deficiency and high temperature and resulting in increased SHDEs. Thus, the Silk Road pattern and the polar–Eurasian pattern serve as linkages between the AMO and SHDEs over northeastern China in summer on the interdecadal time scale. Model simulations from CAM4 perturbed with warmer SST in the North Atlantic show precipitation deficiency and high temperature conditions over northeastern China in summer, supporting the potential impacts of the North Atlantic SST on SHDEs over northeastern China. The results suggest that the phase of the AMO should be taken into account in the decadal prediction of SHDEs over northeastern China in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents an interdecadal variation in the pattern of Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) of sea surface temperature (SST) during boreal summer, where the center of action in the IOBM shifted towards the Arabian Sea after the late 1970s. Correspondingly, the influences of an interannual warming in the tropical Indian Ocean on the Asian summer climate became more significant after the late 1970s due to the Arabian Sea center of action, which are characterized by anomalous subsidence and anticyclones over the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. These atmospheric anomalies may result in surface temperature and precipitation anomalies in a wide area of Asia. Numerical experiments demonstrate the different influences of different IOBM patterns on the Asian summer climate. Statistical analysis and numerical experiments indicate a minor role of the different tropical Pacific SSTs concurrent with the different IOBMs in causing the different Asian summer climate anomalies. Plain Language Summary: The year‐to‐year warming/cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean can notably influence the atmospheric circulation over Asia via air‐sea interaction and atmospheric dynamic process. The current study reveals a shift of the center of action in the year‐to‐year warming/cooling of tropical Indian Ocean during boreal summer after the late 1970s, where this center of action was mainly situated in the southern tropical Indian Ocean during 1951–1979 and this center of action shifted towards the Arabian Sea during 1981–2016. Our results suggest that this shift of center of action in the year‐to‐year warming/cooling of tropical Indian Ocean may exert an important impact on the Asian summer climate. In comparison to 1951–1979, during 1981–2016, more significant surface temperature and precipitation anomalies occurred in Asia corresponding to a year‐to‐year warming/cooling in the tropical Indian Ocean due to the Arabian Sea center of action. Numerical experiments show similar results. The findings of this study indicate that different patterns of tropical Indian Ocean warming/cooling may result in different climate anomalies in Asia, which provides a better understanding of the complex mechanism of the interaction between the tropical Indian Ocean and the Asian climate. Key Points: The center of action in the Indian Ocean basin mode (IOBM) shifted towards the Arabian Sea during boreal summer after the late 1970sThe Asian summer climate is more significantly affected by the IOBM after the late 1970s due to the Arabian Sea center of actionThe concurrent tropical Pacific SSTs have less impact on the shift of Asian summer climate anomalies associated with the shift of IOBM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Herein, a schematic model was established to assess the combined effect of deposited CaCO 3 and thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), at high CO 2 and low O 2 dissolution levels on the corrosion behavior and growth of corrosion scale on X65 pipeline carbon steel. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, confocal laser scanning microscopy, open circuit potential, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the corrosion pattern of water injection pipe. The results showed that a synergistic effect exists between CaCO 3 and thermophilic SRB, both uniform and localized corrosion of CaCO 3 -coated X65 steel were promoted when inoculated with SRB. The corrosion process was comprised of three stages depending on the metabolism of SRB. Highlights • A synergistic effect exists between deposited CaCO 3 and thermophilic SRB. • Both uniform and localized corrosion were promoted when CaCO 3 and SRB coexisted. • The development of corrosion comprises three stages depending on the metabolism of SRB. • A schematic model was proposed to describe the corrosion development. • Corrosion would be further promoted with the continuous injection of SRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, multi-access edge computing (MEC) has been widely recognized as a promising technology that can support a wide range of new applications for the Internet of Things (IoT). In dynamic MEC networks, the heterogeneous computation capacities of the edge servers and the diversified requirements of the IoT applications are both asymmetric, where and when to offload and schedule the time-dependent tasks of IoT applications remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose a flexible offloading and task scheduling scheme (FLOATS) to adaptively optimize the computation of offloading decisions and scheduling priority sequences for time-dependent tasks in dynamic networks. We model the dynamic optimization problem as a multi-objective combinatorial optimization problem in an infinite time horizon, which is intractable to solve. To address this, a rolling-horizon-based optimization mechanism is designed to decompose the dynamic optimization problem into a series of static sub-problems. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based computation offloading and task scheduling algorithm is proposed for each static sub-problem. This algorithm encodes feasible solutions into two-layer chromosomes, and the optimal solution can be obtained through chromosome selection, crossover and mutation operations. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can effectively reduce network costs in comparison to other reference schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stable velocity field distribution of antisolvent flow enables the synthesis of efficient FAPbI 3 perovskite NCs with achieved ∼100 % PLQY and low defect density (∼0.2 cm−3 per NCs) without applying functional additives or further encapsulation. The NCs show incredible reproducibility and remarkable stability of maintaining over 80 % PLQY in an ultra-diluted concentration of 9.3×10-6 mg/mL. [Display omitted] Achieving highly stable and efficient perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) without applying functional additives or encapsulation, particularly sustaining the stability in ultra-dilute solution, is still a formidable challenge. Here, we show the FAPbI 3 perovskite NCs with achieved ∼100 % photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and low defect density (∼0.2 cm−3 per NCs), which is obtained by controlling the velocity field distribution of antisolvent flow in ligand-assisted reprecipitation process. The NCs show incredible reproducibility with narrow deviation of PLQY and linewidth between batch by batch, as well as remarkable stability of maintaining over 80 % PLQY, either in an ultra-diluted solution (9.3 × 10-6 mg/mL), or storing in ambient condition after 90 days with concentration of 0.09 mg/mL. The results in this work demonstrate the interplay of fluid mechanics and crystallization kinetics of perovskite, which pioneers a novel and unprecedent understanding for improving the stability of perovskite NCs for efficient quantum light source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future space missions are considering the use of green space propulsion, and H 2 O 2 /kerosene bipropellant is one of effective alternatives for rocket propellant. In addition, for a 100-N-class thruster of H 2 O 2 /kerosene, it is important to design the proper injector. In this study, according to different values of the geometric constant A which determines the initial swirl intensity of the injected fluid, five coaxial swirl injectors are designed to check the thruster's performance. From the test and experiment results, it is found that with an increase in A , coaxial-swirl injectors can aid in the mixing of oxidant and fuel but increase the average temperature of faceplate, thus significantly reducing the flame length. However, a large or small value of A is not conductive to improve the combustion efficiency. In addition, the pressure oscillation ( P ins ) inside of the chamber gradually becomes intense. Among all cases, Case 3 ( A = 3.0 ), exhibits optimal performance for a 100-N-class H 2 O 2 /kerosene thruster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hierarchical porous iron–nitrogen-carbon electrocatalysts were successfully synthesized using conjugated microporous polytriphenylamine network with the impregnation of FeCl 3. • The Fe doping content and pyrolysis temperature can be used to tailor the structure and electrocatalytic performance of electrocatalyst. • The optimized electrocatalyst showed an enhanced ORR performance and methanol tolerance compared to Pt/C catalyst. Iron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts are promising non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) used in fuel cells. However, the rational design and fabrication of iron–nitrogen-carbon catalysts with tunable ORR activity remain challenging. Herein, iron–nitrogen-enriched carbon materials (FeNCs) were produced using the precursor of pyridyl conjugated microporous polytriphenylamine with the impregnation of FeCl 3 via two cycles of high-temperature pyrolysis with acid leaching in-between. The Fe doping content and pyrolysis temperature were varied to manipulate the state of active sites, the degree of graphitization and electrocatalytic performance. The optimized FeNCs exhibit enhanced stability, methanol tolerance and superior ORR activity in alkaline media with a higher onset potential (0.990 V vs RHE), half-wave potential (0.878 V vs RHE) and diffusion current density J L (5.95 mA cm−2) compared to commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.974 V, 0.860 V, 5.10 mA cm−2). The excellent electrocatalytic performance is ascribed to the co-existing highly active sites of Fe 4 N and Fe 3 C, the hierarchical porous structures for full action of active sites and a high surface area (1397 m2 g−1) with defect engineered graphitic and amorphous carbon for efficient electron conduction of ORR. Accordingly, the high-performance FeNCs can become an alternative low-cost catalyst to precious Pt/C catalyst for fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic fouling caused by dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a critical challenge for membrane technologies. In this study, prediction models for the fouling of commercial polyether sulfone (PES) and regenerated cellulose (RC) ultrafiltration membranes by DOM were established based on the hydrophobicity of DOM. The organic fouling behavior of 40 natural water samples collected from Lake Taihu was investigated. The fouling propensity of water samples on ultrafiltration membranes was evaluated using the fouling index (FI). The hydrophobicity of DOM in water samples was quantified by its partition coefficient in an aqueous two-phase system (K ATPS). The FI of water samples on RC membranes was lower than that on PES membranes due to stronger repulsive Lewis acid-base interactions, which reduced DOM-membrane interactions. A significant positive correlation was found between K ATPS and FI, suggesting the important role of DOM hydrophobicity in the organic fouling of ultrafiltration membranes. FI prediction models using K ATPS as the variable were established using a training group containing 20 water samples for PES and RC membranes, respectively. The resulting models were then validated using the additional 20 water samples, which suggested good prediction power (RMSE = 1.65). The pH effect on the organic fouling can be adequately predicted by the same model with K ATPS values measured at given pH. The results suggest that K ATPS can be used as a convenient index for assessing the initial organic fouling of ultrafiltration membranes by freshwater DOM. [Display omitted] • Partition coefficient of DOM in ATPS (K ATPS) was used to scale its hydrophobicity. • K ATPS significantly correlates with the fouling index of DOM on UF membranes. • DOM hydrophobicity plays an important role in the organic fouling of UF membranes. • Prediction models were established and validated for organic fouling of UF membranes. • The pH effect on the organic fouling can be explained using these prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhomogeneous refractive index fields lead to errors in optical flow velocity measurements. Former respective studies are mostly in quasi two-dimensional flows, and attribute the measurement errors to spatial gradients in the refractive index field, while less attention has been paid to flows with three-dimensional refractive index fields which usually change in space and in time. In this study, ray tracing simulations were carried out in a three-dimensional flow, which is from a direct numerical simulation of single-phase turbulent mixing of two fluids. Given the data of the numerical simulation as reference, the ray tracing simulation is used to quantify the measurement errors of the flow velocity and flow acceleration for tracer-based velocimetry, i.e. particle tracking velocimetry in this study. The errors of both flow velocity and flow acceleration are attributed to the spatial and the spatio-temporal gradients of the refractive indices, respectively, which are closely inherited from flow characteristics. While the dominant type of error depends on the studied flow, the main measurement error for the considered turbulent mixing flow is caused by the random error. When the maximum spatial difference of the refractive indices is about 1 0 − 6 , the relative random measurement error is about 1 % in velocity and about 200 % in acceleration, respectively. When the maximum index difference is about 1 0 − 2 (water), the relative random measurement errors of velocity and acceleration are 2000 % and 1 0 5 %, respectively, for the flow considered in this study. [Display omitted] • Ray tracing simulations were carried out to quantify PTV measurement errors. • The refractive index field was obtained from the density data of a DNS dataset. • The maximum spatial difference of refractive indices ranges from 1 0 − 6 to 1 0 − 2 . • The random error is the dominant for the velocity and acceleration for the studied flows. • The velocity error is associated with spatio-temporal gradients of refractive indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impacts of meteorological factors on giant pandas is necessary for future conservation measures in response to global climate change. We integrated temperature data with three main habitat parameters (elevation, vegetation type, and bamboo species) to evaluate the influence of climate change on giant panda habitat in the northern Minshan Mountains using a habitat assessment model. Our study shows that temperature (relative importance = 25.1%) was the second most important variable influencing giant panda habitat excepting the elevation. There was a significant negative correlation between temperature and panda presence ( ρ = −0.133, P < 0.05), and the temperature range preferred by giant pandas within the study area was 18-21°C, followed by 15-17°C and 22-24°C. The overall suitability of giant panda habitats will increase by 2.7%, however, it showed a opposite variation patterns between the eastern and northwestern region of the study area. Suitable and subsuitable habitats in the northwestern region of the study area, which is characterized by higher elevation and latitude, will increase by 18007.8 hm2 (9.8% habitat suitability), while the eastern region will suffer a decrease of 9543.5 hm2 (7.1% habitat suitability). Our results suggest that increasing areas of suitable giant panda habitat will support future giant panda expansion, and food shortage and insufficient living space will not arise as problems in the northwest Minshan Mountains, which means that giant pandas can adapt to climate change, and therefore may be resilient to climate change. Thus, for the safety and survival of giant pandas in the Baishuijiang Reserve, we propose strengthening the giant panda monitoring program in the west and improving the integrity of habitats to promote population dispersal with adjacent populations in the east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unidirectional barbed suture (UBS) has been widely used for surgery in recent years, especially for urethrovesical anastomosis (UVA) during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). However, the efficacy and safety comparing it with conventional non-barbed suture (CS) for UVA is still controversial. Aims: The objective of this study is to assess the current evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of UBS compared with CS for UVA during RARP. Methods: We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, SinoMed (Chinese) and other databases on Oct. 9, 2014 to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other comparative studies evaluating these two types of suture. The outcome measures included anastomosis time operative time, posterior reconstruction (PR) time, postoperative leakage (PL) rate and continence rates at different time points (4-6 weeks, 3 months, 6-12 months) after surgery. Secondary outcomes included estimated blood loss (EBL) and length of catheterization (LOC). Results: Three RCTs and six observational studies including 786 cases were identified. Meta-analysis of extractable data showed that use of UBS could significantly reduce anastomosis time (weighted mean difference [WMD]:-3.98min; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.02 -1.95; p = 0.0001), operative time (WMD:-10.06min; 95% CI, -15.45–-4.67; p = 0.0003) and PR time (WMD:-0.93min; 95% CI, -1.52–-0.34; p = 0.002). No significant difference was found in PL rate, EBL, LOC, or continence rates at 4-6 weeks, 3 months and 6–12 months after surgery. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis indicates that UBS appears to be safe and efficient as CS for UVA during RARP with not only shorter anastomosis time, operative time, PR time, but also equivalent PL rate, EBL, LOC, and continence rates at 4-6 weeks, 3 months and 6-12 months after surgery. For the inherent limitations of the eligible studies, future more persuasive RCTs are needed to confirm and update our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a main factor of neonatal death and permanent neurologic deficit. This study sought to investigate the functional role of hsa_circ_0007706 (circ_0007706) in modulating neonatal HIE. In vitro HIE cell model was established in hBMVECs under the condition of oxygen‑glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) treatment. qRT-PCR analysis was utilized for detecting the level of circ_0007706, microRNA-579–3p (miR-579–3p) and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). RNase R treatment and Oligo (dT) 18 primers were employed to verify the features of circ_0007706, and nucleocytoplasmic separation was conducted for determining the location of circ_0007706. CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, and flow cytometry were carried out to measure cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. The protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and TRAF6 was detected using western blot. Meanwhile, the levels of the pro-inflammatory factors were determined via ELISA. SOD activity and MDA level were assessed via the respective kits. Besides, dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down were used to identify the association between miR-579–3p and circ_0007706 or TRAF6. Circ_0007706 was elevated in HIE newborns and OGD/R cell model. Knockdown of circ_0007706 greatly alleviated OGD/R-induced injury, inflammatory response and oxidative stress. We found that miR-579–3p was a direct target of circ_0007706, and miR-579–3p inhibitor could reverse the impact of circ_0007706 knockdown on OGD/R-caused cell damage in hBMVECs. In addition, miR-579–3p directly interacted with TRAF6, and the protective effects of miR-579–3p on OGD/R-induced injury in hBMVECs were harbored by TRAF6 overexpression. Our data indicated that circ_0007706 knockdown could downregulate the expression of TRAF6 by sponging miR-579–3p in OGD/R-treated hBMVECs. This study demonstrated that circ_0007706 knockdown assuaged HIE-induced injury by decreasing TRAF6 expression via targeting miR-579–3p. • Circ_0007706 was upregulated in HIE newborns and OGD/R-induced hBMVECs. • Circ_0007706 downregulation alleviated OGD/R-induced damage in hBMVECs. • Circ_0007706 downregulation mitigated OGD/R-induced damage via targeting miR-579–3p to regulate TRAF6 expression in hBMVECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are continuously activated and are one of the most important cellular components of the tumor matrix. The role of CAFs in the tumor microenvironment has been widely recognized. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which CAFs promote tumor characteristics in breast cancer (BC) remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential mechanisms and the possible pathways of collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1) in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of BC cells. The level of CTHRC1 in BC tissues was found to be higher than that in adjacent-normal tissues. CAFs isolated from BC tissues secreted significantly greater amounts of CTHRC1 than normal fibroblasts. Furthermore, CAFs promoted the migration, invasiveness and EMT of BC cells by secreting CTHRC1, which activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, the use of neutralizing antibodies towards CTHRC1, or the specific inhibitor Dickkopf-1, to inhibit the Wnt/β catenin pathway significantly alleviated the CAF-induced malignant phenotypes of BC cells. Collectively, the data indicate that CAFs in the tumor microenvironment promote BC cell malignant behaviors via the CTHRC1/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, weakening CAF-BC cell communication by suppressing CTHRC1 expression may be a novel strategy for treating BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The growth kinetics of colloidal Al(III)-containing particles (), nucleated in optically clear, supersaturated sodium aluminate solutions as a precursor to Al(OH)3 crystals, has been studied using dynamic light scattering. Two series of solutions were examined at 22 °C to determine the influence of Al(III) supersaturation and NaOH concentration on the initial particle growth behavior. One solution series consisted of solutions with constant Al(III) absolute supersaturation (ΔC) of 1.48 M and [NaOH] range 1.83–4.00 M and Al(III) relative supersaturation . The other solution series had a constant σ of 7.55 and [NaOH] range of 1.50–4.27 M and . The correlation between the initial particle growth rates and supersaturation (ΔC or σ) revealed marked anomalies over the entire supersaturation range studied. The growth rate remained substantially constant in the ΔC range 0.86–2.55 M (for the constant σ solution series), before increasing sharply upon a further increase of ΔC beyond 2.55 M. The variation of the growth rate with σ in the range 3.86–9.00 (for the constant ΔC solution series) was remarkably weak, contrary to expectation. At higher σ (>9.00), however, a marked increase in growth rate with increasing σ was displayed. At constant ΔC or σ, the growth rate showed a strong variation with NaOH concentration, indicating that Na+ and OH- species play a pivotal role in the Al(OH) precursor particles (nuclei) growth process. Furthermore, the kinetics of growth displayed by these nanosized particles are an order of magnitude slower than those observed for macroscopic gibbsite (γ-Al(OH)3) crystals at similar supersaturations and temperature. The difference may be rationalized in terms of particle size and Al(OH)3 dimorphic phase dependent solubility effects. An empirically adequate growth kinetics modeling was achieved when the growth rates were correlated with the Al(III) supersaturation (ΔC or σ) and the excess (free) NaOH concentration, rather than the former alone, as is commonly the case. A critical [NaOH]/[Al(III)] molar ratio of 1.27–1.35, below which the particle growth rate increased markedly and above which the rate was significantly reduced, was observed. This behavior is believed to be linked to solution speciation change that occurs at certain Al(III) and NaOH compositions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The nature of Al(III)-containing solution species as a function of solution NaOH and Al(III) concentrations, prior to Al(OH)3 nuclei formation and growth, has been investigated using light scattering. Three types of solution series were analysed, constant [Al(III)] (0.82 M and 4.10 M) with varying [NaOH] (1.00–6.00 M and 5.00–7.00 M), constant [NaOH] (1.00 M and 5.00 M) with varying [Al (III)] (0.14–0.82 M, 0.40–4.10 M) and constant [NaOH]/[Al] of 1.22 ([NaOH] 0.31–6.00 M). It is found that NaOH concentration determines the nature of the initial speciation. At [NaOH]<1.00 M, a high phase contrast between the scattering species and background solvent is observed. The species appear to be relatively large, Al(III)-polycondensed structures, commensurate with the presence of Keggin ions. A significant decrease in light scattering is observed between 1.00 M and 2.5 M NaOH. This is believed to be due to the presence of species with lower order or density than the Keggin ion. Further increase in NaOH concentration to 7.00 M did not have any significant effect on the light scattering of the species regardless of Al(III) concentration. This indicates that the Al(III) containing species formed have less structure or are small, consistent with predominantly Al(OH)4− monomers, and effectively form part of the solvent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biofertilizers with phosphate-solubilizing microorganism (PSM) inoculations have been suggested to diminish the limitation of phosphorus (P) deficiency in plants. However, their applications in agriculture are restricted due to the inconstant effects of various PSMs. Proper carriers for the inoculations may overcome this shortcoming and improve PSMs' effectiveness. The objective of this study was to investigate whether straw compost, a type of organic material, can act as a carrier for improving the efficiencies of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and fungi named Acinetobacter sp. and Aspergillus niger, respectively, in soils. We monitored the growth and cellular physiological responses of one type of model plants, named perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), under four soil treatments, including non-fertilization, PSM inoculation alone, straw compost addition alone, and the combined applications of both PSMs and straw compost. We found the combined treatments significantly improved the growth by 14.7% for shoot height and 79.7% for shoot weight, respectively, on average. P and potassium (K) uptakes of ryegrass were also increased by 102.5% and 65.3%, respectively, after the application of both PSMs and straw compost. Furthermore, physiological properties, such as photosynthetic efficiency and P-transportation capacity, of ryegrass were also significantly improved under combined treatments when compared to other treatments, regardless of the types of PSM included. The piecewise structural equation model further indicated that PSM inoculation and straw compost input are synergistically contributing to the nutrient uptake of ryegrass through many direct and indirect ways. We propose that straw compost is a good carrier material for PSMs' survival and would improve their plant growth promotion ability in soil. Our results provide valuable insights into the exploitation and utilization of P-biofertilizers in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of external forcings on the various summer hot drought events (SHDEs) over northeastern China (NEC). SHDEs are represented by the probability‐based index (PI), which considers precipitation and temperature anomalies. The results show that SHDEs over NEC increased from 1961 to 2005, and the experiments for historical forcing (ALL), increased greenhouse gases emission forcing (GHG), and anthropogenic forcing (ANT) can largely reproduce the spatial and temporal features of the trends of SHDEs over NEC. Based on the optimal fingerprinting method, the impact of increased anthropogenic activities can be detected at the 90% confidence level. In addition, the attributable changes of PI in response to GHG and ANT forcings resemble the observation, implying that the increasing trends of SHDEs over NEC are primarily attributed to the increased anthropogenic activity. Furthermore, the occurrence probability of SHDEs over NEC will be further increased under different Representative Concentration Pathways in the future. Additional strict control regulations on GHG emissions are thus suggested to mitigate its impact on regional climate changes. Key Points: Summer hot drought events over northeastern China are observed to increase in recent decadesEffects of anthropogenic activity emerge as an important factor to increase the summer hot drought events over northeastern ChinaThe frequency and the intensity of summer hot drought events over northeastern China will be further strengthened in the future [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot drought events often have great impacts on society, the ecosystem, and agriculture. Northeastern China (NEC) is the ganary of China, thus it is quite important to investigate the characteristics of summer hot drought event (SHDE) over NEC and find the possible mechanisms. Based on the observation and the reanalysis datasets, we found that the decline of Barents Sea ice (SICBS) in March is closely related to the occurrence of summer SHDE over NEC during 1997-2016. The decline of SICBS can lead to decrease of snow depth over the western Eurasia (SDWEA) in April. On the one hand, the decline of SDWEA in April can regulate the atmospheric circulation during May-June that lead to dry soil in Yangtze River valley and northern China regions, which is further linked to SHDE over NEC. On the other hand, both the decline of SICBS in March and the decrease of SDWEA in April favor the positive Polar/Eurasia teleconnection pattern and dry soil over NEC in JA, which provides favorable atmospheric circulation patterns for SHDE over NEC. All of these results can be verified by the simulations from the Community Earth System Model and the numerical experiments that based on the version 4 of Community Atmosphere Model. Consequently, the Barents Sea ice in March might be a potential predictor for the SHDE over NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of hybrid junctions remains challenging for the rational design of visible light-driven photocatalysts. Herein, In2S3/CdS/N-rGO hybrid nanosheets were successfully prepared via a one-step pyrolysis method using deep eutectic solvents as precursors. Benefiting from the surfactant-free pyrolysis method, the obtained ultrathin hybrid nanosheets assemble into stable three-dimensional self-standing superstructures. The tremella-like structure of hybrid In2S3/N-rGO exhibits excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. The hydrogen evolution rate is 10.9 mmol·g−1·h−1, which is greatly superior to CdS/N-rGO (3.7 mmol·g−1·h−1) and In2S3/N-rGO (2.6 mmol·g−1·h−1). This work provides more opportunities for the rational design and fabrication of hybrid ultrathin nanosheets for broad catalytic applications in sustainable energy and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mei-yu is an important weather phenomenon in the middle-lower Yangtze River valley (YRV) region. This study investigates the changes in the characteristics of Mei-yu under global warming and the potential reasons based on observation and reanalysis data during 1961–2022. Notable increasing long-term trends are detected in the number of days without rainfall (NDWOR), the intensity of rainfall events, and the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events (EPEs) in the YRV region during the Mei-yu period (15 June–10 July) over past decades. The increasing trend in NDWOR is attributed to decreased relative humidity over land surface and a longer time for the air to be replenished with moisture after rainfall events in a warming climate. The increasing trends in the intensity of rainfall events and frequency/intensity of EPEs are attributed to the strengthened transient water vapor convergence and convection in the atmosphere under global warming. Furthermore, the response of Mei-yu to 2°C of global warming with respect to the pre-industrial climate is analysed using CMIP6 models. The results suggest that the NDWOR, intensity of rainfall events and frequency of EPEs will increase in the YRV region during the Mei-yu period under the 2°C warming scenario, which implies a more challenging climate risk management in the future. Overall, the intensity of rainfall events during the Mei-yu period has the most significant response to climate change in observations and projections. The model results have a relatively large uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A novel UV-shielding film created by sputtering ZnO film onto a renewable and biodegradable cellophane film is proposed. The dependence of the optical properties of the ZnO/cellophane hybrid film on the sputtering power, pressure, and film thickness was studied systematically. A high crystalline quality ZnO film with preferred [002] orientation was prepared on a cellophane substrate for the first time. Unlike conventional UV-shielding films consisting of nanostructures and synthetic polymers, ZnO/cellophane hybrid film can possess high visible light transparency and excellent UV-shielding capacity at the same time. The improved performance can be attributed to the high crystalline quality and the antireflection effect of the ZnO film. A typical hybrid film exhibits a UV-shielding ratio of 96.5% while exhibiting a transmittance of visible light of over 80%. ZnO/cellophane hybrid films can be applied in a vast range of UV-shielding applications, such as sunburn protection and short-wave radiation protection in the laboratory. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phospholipase C is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycerophospholipids and can be classified as phosphoinositide-specific PLC (PI-PLC) and non-specific PLC (NPC), depending on its hydrolytic substrate. In maize, the function of phospholipase C has not been well characterized. In this study, the phospholipase C inhibitor neomycin sulfate (NS, 100 mM) was applied to maize seedlings to investigate the function of maize PLC. Under the treatment of neomycin sulfate, the growth and development of maize seedlings were impaired, and the leaves were gradually etiolated and wilted. The analysis of physiological and biochemical parameters revealed that inhibition of phospholipase C affected photosynthesis, photosynthetic pigment accumulation, carbon metabolism and the stability of the cell membrane. High-throughput RNA-seq was conducted, and differentially expressed genes (DEGS) were found significantly enriched in photosynthesis and carbon metabolism pathways. When phospholipase C activity was inhibited, the expression of genes related to photosynthetic pigment accumulation was decreased, which led to lowered chlorophyll. Most of the genes related to PSI, PSII and TCA cycles were down-regulated and the net photosynthesis was decreased. Meanwhile, genes related to starch and sucrose metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway and the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway were up-regulated, which explained the reduction of starch and total soluble sugar content in the leaves of maize seedlings. These findings suggest that phospholipase C plays a key role in photosynthesis and the growth and development of maize seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmids are mostly found in bacteria as extrachromosomal genetic elements and are widely used in genetic engineering. Exploring the mechanisms of plasmid–host interaction can provide crucial information for the application of plasmids in genetic engineering. However, many studies have generally focused on the influence of plasmids on their bacterial hosts, and the effects of plasmids on bacteria-feeding animals have not been explored in detail. Here, we use a "plasmid–bacteria–Caenorhabditis elegans" model to explore the impact of plasmids on their host bacteria and bacterivorous nematodes. First, the phenotypic responses of C. elegans were observed by feeding Escherichia coli OP50 harboring different types of plasmids. We found that E. coli OP50 harboring plasmid pEX18Gm unexpectedly increases the fecundity of C. elegans. Subsequently, we found that the plasmid pEX18Gm indirectly affects C. elegans fecundity via bacterial metabolism. To explore the underlying regulatory mechanism, we performed bacterial RNA sequencing and performed in-depth analysis. We demonstrated that the plasmid pEX18Gm upregulates the transcription of methionine synthase gene metH in the bacteria, which results in an increase in methionine that supports C. elegans fecundity. Additionally, we found that a pEX18Gm-induced increase in C. elegans can occur in different bacterial species. Our findings highlight the plasmid–bacteria–C. elegans model to reveal the mechanism of plasmids' effects on their host and provide a new pattern for systematically studying the interaction between plasmids and multi-species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, variation in the frequency of thermal discomfort days over China during the period of 1961–2014, including heat discomfort days (HDDs) and cold discomfort days (CDDs), and the influence of external forcings on it are discussed. HDDs are the conditions of overheating and overhumidity (represented by humidity index), and CDDs reflect the dangers from cold temperatures and winds (represented by wind chill index). Observations show significant increases (decreases) in the frequency of HDDs (CDDs) over China from 1961 to 2014, with clear regional distinctions. The historical ALL and greenhouse gas (GHG) simulations can sufficiently reproduce the spatial patterns of the observational trend in the frequency of both HDDs and CDDs over China. Further, the impacts of GHG and anthropogenic forcings on the HDDs (CDDs) are detectable over China, except for central and eastern China, based on the optimal fingerprinting method. GHG forcing is identified as a dominant factor for the observational changes in the frequency of HDDs over southern China; GHG and anthropogenic forcings have dominant effects on the variation in the frequency of CDDs over southwestern China. Although trends in the frequency of HDDs and CDDs in historical aerosol forcing simulations seems to be opposite to observations, an aerosol signal fails to be detected. Natural forcing contributes to the observational variation in the frequency of HDDs over northwestern China. In addition, the future projections of thermal discomfort days indicate that Chinese residents will face more threats of heat discomfort and fewer threats of cold discomfort in the future under global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationally designing high-efficient g-C 3 N 4 based photocatalysts still remains a big challenge. Herein, Ni 7 S 6 decorated K-doped g-C 3 N 4 /graphene oxide photocatalyst was synthesized. Interestingly, amorphous conductive carbon black and urea are simultaneously transferred to graphene oxide and K-doped g-C 3 N 4 , which achieves in-situ coupled K-g-C 3 N 4 /graphene oxide composite. The in-situ fabricated graphene oxide acts as a charge transfer substrate for the rapid photocarriers migration. Ni 7 S 6 forms Schottky heterojunction with K-g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst, promoting photocarriers separation. The Ni 7 S 6 /K-g-C 3 N 4 /graphene oxide composite achieves a visible light hydrogen production rate of 487.59 μmol·g−1·h−1, which is about 7.5 times higher than that of K-g-C 3 N 4 (65.4 μmol·g−1·h−1). This work provides a novel strategy for preparing high-efficient g-C 3 N 4 based photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • Graphitic carbon nitride modified with graphene oxide and Ni 7 S 6 was prepared. • Graphitization and K-g-C 3 N 4 formation simultaneously took place forming tightly coupled interface. • Ni 7 S 6 with K-g-C 3 N 4 formed Schottky junction to inhibit the recombination of photocarriers. • The composite shows an excellent photocatalytic activity of 487.59 μmol·g−1·h−1 and enhanced stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of earthworms on humus composition and humic acid (HA) characteristics was studied in a rice–wheat rotation agroecosystem. Experimental plots in the rotation had five treatments, i.e., incorporation or mulching of maize residues with or without added earthworms and a control. Compared with the control, the application of maize residues to soil either alone or in combinations with earthworms strongly affected the humus composition and HA characteristics. In the presence of earthworms, the carbon ratio of HA to fulvic acid (FA), and the alkyl C/O-alkyl C and hydrophobic C/hydrophilic C ratios of HA were slightly higher, while the aliphatic C/aromatic C ratio of HA was slightly lower following maize residue incorporation than the same treatment without earthworms. In contrast, these ratios generally remained almost constant following maize residue mulching. Thus, earthworm activity following maize residue incorporation was more favorable for the HA formation, and was associated with a decrease in aliphaticity of HA, and an increase in its degree of humification and hydrophobicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A 16.6-kilo-base pair (kb) sequence was amplified from the duck enteritis virus (DEV) clone-03 strain genome using ‘targeted gene walking polymerase chain reaction (PCR)’. Seven complete open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted, and designated herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) homologues, unique long (UL) 25, UL26, UL26.5, UL27, UL28, UL29, and UL30. Sequence analysis revealed that the arrangement of seven genes in DEV clone-03 strain was collinear to that from HSV-1. In addition, mRNA transcription orientation was identical to the HSV-1 genes. While UL25, UL26, and UL26.5 shared the same poly A signal, the UL27 and UL28 genes overlapped by 211bp nucleotides and shared the same 3′ transcription terminus. UL26.5, an in-frame ORF of UL26, was co-terminal with UL26 at its 3′-end. We predicted that the gene arrangement in the unique long segment of the DEV clone-03 was identical to that in HSV-1, particularly in the region from UL25 to UL30 gene. Phylogenetic trees of the putative proteins encoded by these seven genes showed that UL27, UL28, and UL30 had a close evolutionary relationship with the Mardivirus, however, the other four proteins exhibited close relationships with the Simplexvirus or Varicellovirus, indicating that the DEV clone-03 should be placed into a single cluster within the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates the first two leading modes of the interannual variability of frequency of snowfall events (FSE) over China in the winter during 1986–2018. The positive phase of the first leading mode (EOF1) is mainly characterized by positive FSE anomalies in northeastern–northwestern China and negative FSE anomalies in the three-river-source region. In contrast, the positive phase of the second leading mode (EOF2) is mainly characterized by positive FSE anomalies in central-eastern China (CEC). EOF1 is affected by the synoptic-scale wave activity over the midlatitudes of the East Asian continent, where active synoptic-scale wave activity over the midlatitudes may cause increased FSE over northeastern–northwestern China, and vice versa. In a winter of a negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, an anomalous deep cold low may occur over Siberia, which may induce increased meridional air temperature gradient, increased atmospheric baroclinicity, and hence increased FSE over the midlatitudes of the East Asian continent. The EOF2 is affected by the interaction between anomalous northerly cold advection and anomalous southerly water vapor transport over CEC. The positive phase of EOF2 is associated with negative sea ice anomalies in the Barents Sea–Kara Sea region and negative sea surface temperature anomalies in the central-eastern tropical Pacific. Reduced sea ice in the Barents Sea–Kara Sea during January–February may cause increased northerly cold advection over CEC, while a La Niña–like condition during January may induce southerly water vapor transport anomalies over CEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthworms naturally secrete substantial amounts of mucus (relative to their body size) from the cuticle when moving through the soil. However, how the metabolites in the epidermally derived mucus affect soil microfauna is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine how earthworm mucus affected the physiology of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and that of two soil-dwelling bacterial-feeding nematodes: Mesorhabditis sp. and Protorhabditis sp. The traits examined included phobotaxis, reproduction, mortality, body size, feeding inhibition rate, and feeding preference. Two nematode species escaped from the earthworm mucus, whereas earthworm mucus reduced the reproduction of C. elegans and increased the mortality of C. elegans and Mesorhabditis sp. Moreover, earthworm mucus reduced the feeding rate of C. elegans and Protorhabditis sp. and changed the feeding preferences of all three species of nematodes. At 48 h, earthworm mucus increased feeding on Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JX1 for C. elegans and Protorhabditis sp. and reduced feeding on Escherichia coli OP50 for Mesorhabditis sp. These results suggest that earthworm mucus can be detrimental to bacterial-feeding nematodes and provide insights into the non-trophic interactions between earthworms and other soil biota. • Two of the three bacterial-feeding nematodes escaped from earthworm mucus. • Earthworm mucus reduced the reproduction of C. elegans. • Earthworm mucus increased the mortality of the C. elegans and Mesorhabditis sp. • Earthworm mucus inhibited the feeding rate of C. elegans and Protorhabditis sp and changed the feeding preferences of all the bacterial-feeding nematodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are promising semiconductor materials for the application of novel nano-optoelectronic devices and light sources, which have attracted wide attention in recent years. Many additives were applied for modulating the electronic structure, as well as improving the stability or light efficiency of the perovskite NCs, particularly the zwitterionic molecules show strong and unique interaction with perovskite lattice to passivate the defects and surface state of the perovskite NCs. Here, in this work, we synthesized the blue CsPbBr 3 perovskite NCs with the assist of zwitterionic straight-chain amino acids, and systematically studied the interaction between the perovskite and amino acids with varied molecular structure. We found that the polarization of the amino acid molecules dominates the ionized state of the two functional groups of -NH 2 and -COOH, leading to different interaction with perovskite. Eventually, the perovskite NCs with 7-aminophenic acid show stable and efficient blue light emission at peak wavelength of 475 nm with achieved light efficiency of ∼ 90%. This work demonstrated the mechanism of the interaction between series zwitterionic amino acids and perovskite experimentally, which provides a guideline for the additive selection and design. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fowl adenovirus serotype 8b (FAdV-8b), as causative agent of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), poses a great threat to the poultry industry. Considering the importance of innate immune response in host against viral infections, we investigated pathogenicity of a FAdV-8b strain HLJ/151129 in 1-mo-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens and immune responses of host to FAdV-8b infection in this study. The results demonstrated that no obvious clinical signs were observed in infected birds. Neither mobility nor mortality was observed in both FAdV-8b infected and control chickens, as well. However, hepatic necrosis and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration were observed by pathological analysis. Viral load was detected in bursa of Fabricius, cecal tonsils, liver, heart, spleen, Harderian glands, and thymus. Virus shedding and viremia generated as early as 3 days postinfection (dpi) (9/10) and reached the peak at 7 dpi (10/10). In addition, the infected birds had developed FAdV-specific antibodies at 7 dpi, and the antibody titers reached the peak at 14 dpi. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the mRNA expression levels of most of toll-like receptors ( TLRs ), most of avian β-defensins ( AvBDs ), and cytokines [interleukin ( IL )-2, IL-6 , and interferon ( IFN )-γ], were significantly upregulated in most tissues at early phases of FAdV-8b infection, especially in liver and spleen. In contrast, FAdV-8b infection results in downregulation of TLR4, TLR5 , and TLR21 expressions in some tissues of infected chickens. In addition, FAdV-8b infection upregulated myeloid differentiation factor 88 ( MyD88 ), nuclear factor-kappa B ( NF-κB ) p65, and TIR-domain-containing adapter inducing interferon-β ( TRIF ) expression in some tissues, while decreased NF-κB p65 and TRIF in spleen at both 72 hpi and 21 dpi. Taken together, these results confirmed that FAdV-8b could replicate in all investigated tissues of infected birds, and then, result in production of FAdV-specific antibody titers. Meanwhile, the FAdV-8b infection induces strong innate immune responses at early stage in chickens, which may associate with the viral pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) and benzo [ a ]pyrene (BaP) often co-occur in the environment, and the critical body residue of organisms is used as an indicator of the toxic effects of contaminants. However, little is known about their distributions and toxicities when pollution of Cd and BaP are combined. Semi-static solution culture experiment was used to study the impacts of BaP on the subcellular distribution of the toxic metal Cd in the earthworm Eisenia fetida. We explored the mechanisms by which this organism responds to combined exposure to these pollutants by measuring the protein content of each of three subcellular fractions, as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities. The subcellular partitioning of Cd was heterogeneous and Cd mainly accumulated in the cytosolic fraction (Fraction C), which was previously reported to be involved in metal immobilization. In Fraction C, Cd accumulation was correlated with the external concentration to which the earthworm had been exposed; however, in the presence of BaP, Cd accumulation was inhibited and plateaued at high external Cd concentrations. A principal component analysis revealed that this decreased Cd accumulation might be caused by increases in GST activity, which likely increased the excretion of Cd. BaP was also found to stimulate protein biosynthesis and upregulate AChE and GST activities in the debris fraction (Fraction E), indicating other potential detoxification mechanisms in this fraction. Granule fraction (Fraction D) had a lower protein content, AChE and GST activities than the other subcellular fractions, supporting previous findings that Fraction D is largely inert. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Cadmium (Cd) subcellular partitioning is heterogeneous. • Benzo [ a ]pyrene (BaP) inhibits Cd accumulation. • BaP promoted the production of total protein in the cellular debris fraction. • Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is the main influencer of Cd accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-fertilizers are thought to be overwhelmingly superior to chemical fertilizers for the improvement of soil quality and productivity. However, the comprehensive effects of bio-fertilizer on the soil ecosystem and the possibility of using multiple soil beneficial biota are still not well understood. A two-year field study was conducted to examine how crop yield, soil biochemical properties, enzyme activities, and functional diversity responded to different bio-fertilizers in the sweet potato phase of a double-cropping system (sweet potato and rapeseed). Six fertilizer treatments, including one chemical treatment (CF), two organic treatments (OM, organic manure; MC, organic manure plus chemical fertilizer) and three bio-fertilizer treatments (MCN containing nematodes, MCE containing earthworms, and MCP containing phosphate-solubilizing bacteria) were compared. The soils under CF had the lowest values for all soil parameters in comparison with the other treatments. Among the organic and bio-fertilizer treatments, OM performed better in improving soil biological properties such as soil respiration and microbial biomass, while soils under all these treatments had similar soil enzyme activities and functionality. Crop yield was positively correlated with soil nutrient levels, microbial biomass and enzyme activity, and most of the biochemical variables were highly intercorrelated. Our results indicated that organic fertilizers and bio-fertilizers were superior to chemical fertilizers and generally improved soil quality and productivity to similar levels in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasion, climate change and urbanization are presently altering species compositions worldwide (McKinney and Lockwood 1999, McKinney 2006, Qian and Ricklefs 2006, Magurran et al. 2015, Gossner et al. 2016, Newbold et al. 2018), while changes in community composition are generally associated with higher community similarities and losses of community distinctiveness (McKinney and Lockwood 1999, Olden et al. 2004). The underlying processes of homogenization are still unclear and especially lack theoretical underpinnings (Olden and Poff 2003, Rosenblad and Sax 2017). It was theoretically and empirically proposed that similarity changes are determined by different events (Olden and Poff 2003, Villéger and Brosse 2012, Rosenblad and Sax 2017). For example, the introduction of the same species to two sites would result in an increase in similarity, while the extinction of same native species from two sites would lead to a decrease in similarity. In complement to earlier works on the mathematical description of homogenization (Olden and Poff 2003, Villéger and Brosse 2012). Rosenblad and Sax (2017) provided a concise framework of six types of introduction and extinction events with formula derivations to qualify the relative importance of these events on changes in community similarity. They found that the effects of these events vary according to event type and initial similarity. However, their conclusions mainly derive from simplified assumptions of species richness and number of events, which prevent us from understanding the precise relationships among initial similarity, different event types and total number of species. Through mathematical derivation and simulations (Fig. 1), we thus aim to: 1) combine previously identified determinants of change in similarity into a single comprehensive formula; 2) illustrate how these determinants interact with each other; and 3) highlight the important role of gradient in species richness in affecting the magnitude of similarity changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arthrobacter pascens ZZ21 is a plant-beneficial, fluoranthene-degrading bacterial strain found in the rhizosphere. The production of the phytohormone indole-3-aectic acid (IAA) by ZZ21 is thought to contribute to its ability to promote plant growth and remediate fluoranthene-contaminated soil. Using genome-wide analysis combined with metabolomic and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analyses, we characterized the potential IAA biosynthesis pathways in A. pascens ZZ21. IAA production increased 4.5-fold in the presence of 200 mgL-1 tryptophan in the culture medium. The transcript levels of prr and aldH, genes which were predicted to encode aldehyde dehydrogenases, were significantly upregulated in response to exogenous tryptophan. Additionally, metabolomic analysis identified the intermediates indole-3-acetamide (IAM), indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPyA), and the enzymatic reduction product of the latter, indole-3-lactic acid (ILA), among the metabolites of ZZ21, and subsequently also IAM, ILA, and indole-3-ethanol (TOL), which is the enzymatic reduction product of indole-3-acetaldehyde, by HPLC-MS. These results suggest that the tryptophan-dependent IAM and IPyA pathways function in ZZ21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Food resources are often not sufficient to satisfy the nutritional and energetic requirements during winter conditions at high latitudes. Dietary analysis is a prerequisite to fully understanding the feeding ecology of a species and the nature of trophic interactions. Previous dietary studies of Asian Great Bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii) relied on behavioral observations, resulting in categorization of diet limited to broad taxonomic groupings. Here, we applied a high‐throughput sequencing meta‐barcoding approach to quantify the diet of resident and migratory Asian Great Bustard in three wintering sites during early winter and late winter. We detected 57 unique plant taxa in the bustard diet, among which 15 species were confirmed by a local plant database we generated. Both agricultural and natural foods were detected, indicating a relatively broad dietary niche. Spatiotemporal dietary changes were discovered, revealing diet differences among wintering sites and a general shift toward lower plant diversity later in winter. For the nonmigratory population, we detected a significantly more diverse array of plant species in their diet. We hypothesize that dietary variation between resident and migratory populations could be involved in the recent transition to partial migration in this species, although climate change can not be excluded. Collectively, these results support protecting unharvested grain fields and naturally unplowed lands to help conserve and promote population growth of Asian Great Bustard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an upgraded one-dimensional (1D) nonlinear rheological system of soft ground consolidation. In the system, the boundaries are characterized by the time-dependent drainage boundary conditions at the surface and bottom of the layer. Meanwhile, the modified UH relationship and non-Newtonian index flow model are used to simulate the viscous effect of clay and the flow of excess pore-water during consolidation, respectively. Then, two numerical discretization formats of the system, namely the finite volume method (FDM) and finite difference method (FVM), are given, and corresponding calculation programs are compiled. The model solutions have been validated by degraded analytical solutions, FDM and FVM comparison solutions, and available laboratory data. Further, the consolidation behaviour under different model parameters is illustrated. The calculated results indicate that the change of interface parameters and flow mode does not influence the final foundation settlement, but both significantly affect the overall dissipation process of EPWP of soils. At last, an efficient method for determining CDB parameters is proposed and verified by available test data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the non-linear creep characteristics of clays, the modified unified hardening (UH) relation is employed to reflect the visco-elastic-plastic deformation of soft soils. Simultaneously, Swartzendruber's flow in the form of a continuous function is captured to describe pore water flow through pores during consolidation. Thus, an upgraded one-dimensional (1-D) non-linear rheological consolidation (NRC) system of clays has been established, and its solutions are conducted using the finite volume method (FVM). Through comparisons against the theoretical solutions and laboratory test results, the effectiveness of the numerical algorithm and applicability of the modified UH relation is verified. Then, the effects of model parameters on non-linear rheological consolidation behavior were studied. The results indicate that ignoring the time effect of secondary consolidation coefficient overestimates the overall consolidation and settlement proceeding, and considering the viscous effect of the soils led to an unanticipated increase in excess pore-water pressure (EPP) at the initial loading period. Meanwhile, the rising EPP becomes more pronounced with the increase of the initial over-consolidated parameter, flow parameter, and soil thickness or the decrease of overlying load. Additionally, FVM and finite difference method (FDM) solutions, as well as the application scope of Darcy's law in the NRC system, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover crop can reduce the intensity of land use, and improve soil fertility and productivity in multiple-cropping systems. However, only a few studies have comprehensively evaluated soil health after cover crops in terms of management goal and soil multi-functionality. In this study, different minimum data set (MDS) methods were used to establish a soil health index (SQI) model to evaluate soil health of the winter smooth vetch-summer maize cropping system in southwest China. We analyzed thirty-five soil parameters (representing soil physical, chemical and biological properties) connected with the soil functions as potential soil health indicators in the phase of smooth vetch and maize under six management treatments (CK (control), N (N fertilizer), P (P fertilizer), NP (N and P fertilizer), NPW (N and P fertilizer + irrigation), CF (fallow)). Those managements were set in the smooth vetch phase (as a cover crop). The MDS using correlation analysis (cMDS), principal component analysis (pMDS) and random forest analysis (rMDS) from the total data set (TDS) were selected and then used for SQIs calculation, respectively. Cover crop by different management of irrigation and fertilization affected each soil property in different ways. All three SQIs were significantly correlated with SQI-TDS, validating the SQI models developed by three MDS methods (P < 0.05). Further, the SQI based on rMDS was the most accurate and sensitive, suggesting the RFA-based SQI reflects soil functions more adequately than the CA and PCA-based SQI. Cover crop by the management of fertilization or/and irrigation will not only improve soil health, but also enhance maize yield compared with fallow treatment, especially for NPW treatment. Fertilization treatments (N, P, NP and NPW) had higher soil health index, which was related to the better performance of soil in sustaining biological activity, physical stability and supporting function. In summary, the SQI model developed by the RFA method can provide a practical and robust tool for assessing soil health based on the management goal. • Cover crops can improve soil health index and maize yield. • Cover crops with balanced irrigation and fertilizer have better soil health. • Increasing soil health index significantly enhances maize yield. • Soil health index developed by random forest analysis had the most accurate ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterivorous nematodes are one of the dominant microbial organisms and play an important role in shaping the bacterial community and hormone dynamics in rhizosphere soils. It has been found that the presence of bacterivorous nematodes potentially regulate indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content in soils by interacting with the status of IAA-producing bacteria, and eventually act on the growth of plant roots. However, the mechanism behind this interaction in broad soil ecosystems remains unknown. This study reveals the interaction between bacterivorous nematodes and the soil bacterial community, especially IAA-producing bacteria, based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. The results of DGGE showed that the bacterial diversity in soil was increased by inoculation of nematodes during certain periods of plant culture, and was also affected by the genotype of the Arabidopsis thaliana (Johannes Thal, 1577) plants. The variation in soil bacterial communities among the treatments with different genotypes of A. thaliana and nematodes indicated that the soil bacterial community structure was affected by both genotype and nematode grazing. Furthermore, we measured the root architectures of four genotypes of A. thaliana , including wild type (Col-0), two IAA-insensitive mutants (Axr5 and Axr3–1), and DR5::GUS transgenic type (IAA sensitive) under different conditions of bacterivorous nematode inoculation. We found that the root architecture of the IAA-sensitive A. thaliana developed more tips and slender roots under inoculation with activated bacterivorous nematodes, while the root architectures of auxin-insensitive A. thaliana mutants showed no significant differences between alive and inactivated bacterivorous nematodes, even though the IAA content increased in the soil under inoculation with alive nematodes. This study confirms that the presence of bacterivorous nematodes in soils increases the soil IAA content significantly by regulating the bacterial community structure, which leads to an accumulation of auxin in the root tips of A. thaliana , and eventually enhances the plant root growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins produced by transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice that enter the soil via root exudation and plant residues may be harmful to non-target soil organisms. We conducted a 3-year field investigation to determine if soil nematode abundance and diversity were affected by exposure to two transgenic Bt rice cultivars, compared to their non-transgenic near isolines. Near isolines were Kemingdao (KMD-Bt) expressing the single Cry1Ab gene and its non-Bt near isoline Xiushui-11 (XSD), as well as Huahui-1 (HH-Bt) expressing the fused Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac gene and its non-Bt near isoline Minghui-63 (MH). Nematode variables including community composition, abundance, trophic groups, and most of the common genera differed significantly between the rice cultivars. However, these nematode variables were similar under transgenic Bt rice and its non-Bt near isoline, although higher Shannon's index value and Pielou's index value were found in soils planted with Bt rice than the non-Bt near isoline. During this 3-year field study, gene modification (single Cry1Ab gene and fused Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac gene) supports a more uniform distribution of nematode species but had no effect on soil nematode abundance and community composition. We conclude that continuous cultivation of KMD-Bt and HH-Bt rice varieties for 3 years is not detrimental to soil nematode communities under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]